The Fifth Marauder
by xEmmax843x
Summary: We all know the stories of the Marauders. But what if there was another? Nixie Ryder finds herself in the Marauders 'gang' in Hogwarts, but can she keep her secret for long? How will she change the well known story of the boys who lived for mischief? And will she find love? SB/OC Set in Marauders era, will continue through to HP era
1. Chapter 1

The Fifth Marauder

Chapter one

Nixie Ryder looked at the red steam engine with a smile, happy to finally be returning to Hogwarts for her fifth year after the summer. She had missed being around her friends and using her magic whenever she could. She put her hand in her pocket, enjoying the feeling of magic flowing as she grasped her wand, an 11½" willow with unicorn hair and phoenix feather core that had a flowery pattern carved into the wood.

"Nixie!" She turned to face her mum, who grasped her shoulders and gave her a serious look. "You be careful this year. And don't attract too much attention."

"Don't worry, Mum. I'll be fine." She smiled before giving her mum a hug. Anyone who looked at them would find it hard to distinguish who was who in their hug. They both had long, wavy brown hair, similar figures and were the same height, but Nixie's hair was lighter and had more blonde in it. "I gotta go." She said, pulling away from the hug.

"Don't get into trouble." Mrs Ryder said, smiling. "I love you darling."

"I love you too Mum. See you at Christmas!" She called as she turned and jogged to the train, jumping in and looking for an empty compartment. She sat down in one and pulled her book out, reading as much as she could.

Just as the train started moving, the door to her compartment opened and she looked up to see 4 boys smirking at her.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Ryder, all on her own." The unmistakable voice of Sirius Black said as he sauntered into the compartment.

"What happened? Did everyone finally get sick of you?" James Potter asked as they sat down. Peter Pettigrew sat close to the door, looking slightly nervous. Remus Lupin sat next to her, offering her a small smile as he sat down. She noticed some more scratches on his face as she smiled back. James and Sirius both sat opposite her, Sirius pulling her book out of her hand.

"A muggle Novel? I thought you were a pureblood." He said, frowning slightly.

"You thought wrong." She said, snatching her book back.

"But, aren't both your parents wizards?" Peter asked, looking lost.

"I'm adopted." She snapped, glaring at the 3 opposite her. "And for your information, I chose to sit on my own. I don't fancy sitting in a compartment with Snape all the way."

"Why would you have to sit with Snivellious?" James asked, his interest peaking.

"Because he is most likely sat with Lily and the others, and since I don't like him, I chose not to sit with them." She replied.

"Here we go." Remus sighed.

"Lilykins? That greasy slimeball is sat with my Lilykins?" James cried, jumping up, causing both Peter and Nixie to jump.

"James, sit down. We can prank him when we get to Hogwarts." Sirius said, smirking as his best friend retook his seat. "So, any prank ideas?"

"Turn his hair green?" Peter suggested.

"Did that in second year." James said. "Snakes in his bag?"

"First year." Remus commented. "Voice changing potion?"

"Third year." Sirius said, putting his hand on his chin. "Shave his head?"

"Did that last year." Nixie said, making the boys look at her as she read her book.

"We didn't shave his head." James said with a frown. "Did we?"

"You didn't. I did." She said, looking up at their shocked faces. "Do you not remember that he wore a hat for a week straight?"

"You shaved Snivellious' head?" Remus asked.

"Yeah. And all of those ideas are awful by the way. Way too amateur." She said.

"Oh, and what do you suggest we do?" Sirius asked, making her smirk.

Xxx

"Nix!" Nixie turned just in time to see a flash of red hair before she was pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"Lily! I need to breathe!" She gasped, making her best friend, Lily Evans, take a step back with a slight glare.

"Where were you? I thought you were going to sit with us on the train." She asked as she linked arms with her friend and the two walked into the great hall.

"Sorry Lil. I got distracted." Nixie replied.

"By what?" The question was answered as the Marauders sat down next to them, making Lily frown.

"You guys got everything ready?" Nixie asked.

"Of course. We're all set." Sirius replied. Before Lily could ask what they were on about, the doors opened and Professor McGonagall walked in with the first years to be sorted. They watched the sorting with smiles, cheering every time a new Gryffindor walked to their table. The Marauders and Nixie shared a look as Dumbledore stood up, smiling at each other.

"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. May I remind you that the forbidden forest is out of bounds, to everyone." He looked at the Marauders with a glint in his eye. "A list of banned items can be found on Mr Filches door. And now, enjoy the feast!" Everyone cheered as the food appeared, and Nixie leant closer to the Marauders.

"Here we go." She whispered. There was a shriek before Snape jumped up, the food in front of him now a pile of snakes. The rest of the Slytherin tables screamed and jumped as their food turned into a variety of creatures, from snakes to spiders, cockroaches and bees. The rest of the hall laughed, and even Dumbledore found it hard to contain a smirk.

"You guys are unbelievable." Lily snapped, looking at the 4 boys with glares.

"Oh, but Lily-flower. We couldn't possibly take all of the credit, as it wasn't our idea." James said, smiling brightly.

"Then who's was it?" She asked, only to groan as they looked at Nixie. "I thought you were done with the pranking." She hissed.

"When did I ever agree to that?" Nixie asked eating her food like normal.

"Well boys. I think we have just found a new member of the Marauders." Sirius said, making the other 3 smirk.

"Oh boy." Lily muttered. Dumbledore watched the exchange from his seat at the top table with a smile, before turning to look at McGonagall at his side.

"Well, Minerva. I think that this year is going to be a very interesting year." He said, making the green clad woman frown, having also seen the exchange. If the Marauders had joined forces with Nixie, then there was one thing for sure. No one would be safe this year.


	2. Chapter 2

The Fifth Marauder

Chapter 2

"Yo Padfoot! You ready yet?" James asked as he walked into their dorm. Since there were only 4 fifth year Gryffindor boys, the Marauders got the dorm to their selves, and that meant that the only part of the room that was even half tidy, was the area around Remus' bed. James saw Sirius sat at the window, looking at something on the grounds below. "Padfoot? Padfoot!" He yelled, making Sirius jump and fall off the window ledge he was sat on.

"Bloody hell Prongs! What?" He grumbled as he stood up. James walked over to see what his friend was looking at, only to laugh when he saw.

"Stalking Nix again?" He laughed, seeing that Sirius had been watching Nixie, who was sat by the black lake reading another book. The boys and Nixie had been joint at the hip since the start of the year, 2 months ago.

"I'm not stalking her!" He protested. "I'm just…. Curious."

"That must be the biggest word that you know Padfoot." Remus commented as he and Peter walked into the room to see what was taking the other two so long.

"Shut up." He grumbled.

"Why are you so curious about her?" James asked.

"I don't know. It's like there's something about her that just peaks my interest." He said.

"Well, we can't worry about it now. We have to get to herbology." Remus said, pushing the boys out of the room. They laughed all the way down to the greenhouses, seeing that Nixie had finally put her book down and was waiting for them.

"What took you so long?" She asked as they walked up to her.

"Sorry Pixie. Some of us don't feel the need to get to lessons early." Sirius said.

"Stop calling me that!" She snapped. Sirius had taken to calling her Pixie, a name that she didn't like and made her nervous.

They stopped as professor Sprout began the lesson and the only noise that could be heard was Nixie and Sirius throwing things as each other. Once Professor Sprout set their task, the 5 friends turned to each other and smiled.

"What are we supposed to be doing?" Nixie asked, making Remus smirk.

"If you think that I'm going to do your work for you, then you might want to jump off the astronomy tower." He said, making them laugh. The rest of the lesson passed with only one incident. Nixie made the tray in front of Sirius explode when he was annoying her, making her frown as she hadn't used her wand to do it.

The five walked towards their DADA classroom, laughing and joking as they went. Everyone that passed them watched them nervously. The new addition to the Marauders had not gone unnoticed, and made a lot of people very nervous about their new and improved pranks.

"Come on! We haven't done a prank in ages!" Sirius moaned as they waited outside the classroom.

"We pranked the Slytherins yesterday." Remus said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, but we haven't done a big prank!" James said, smiling brightly.

"That might be because you keep waiting for Nixie to suggest pranks." Peter said, shrinking back at the looks he received.

"He's right." Nixie said, making them look at her. "All the pranks we've done so far have been my ideas. The next prank we do has to be your guys' idea, or I won't help you."

"Nixie!" The 4 complained, making the girl smirk as they were let into the classroom. Nixie took her seat next to Remus at the back of the classroom, Sirius and James in front of her and Peter in front of them.

"Settle down class." Professor Rothburn said as he stood at the front of the class. "Today we're going to be looking at protective spells, mainly shields. Now, can anyone tell me how Protego works?" Lily and Remus immediately put their hands in the air, and Nixie just sat back with her arms folded, not liking the look he was giving her.

"Miss Ryder. Perhaps you could tell us." Rothburn said, a strange look in his eyes as he looked at Nixie.

"Protego works as a shield against almost any spell. The spell will bounce off the shield and will most likely hit someone else. It can block any spell that isn't dark magic, and it can't block the three unforgivable curses." She said in a bored voice, picking at her nails.

"But there is one substance on this World that can block any spell, including the killing curse. What is it?" He asked, making her freeze. Remus looked at her with a frown as the other 3 looked back at her with confused looks.

"Nothing can block the killing curse." She said in a small voice, panic starting to rise in her chest.

"One substance that is the strongest thing in the world, capable of blocking the killing curse, and _you_ don't know what it is?" He asked with a slight hiss as he got closer to her table.

"She said she doesn't know! Leave her alone!" Remus snapped, standing up, making the Marauders raise their eyebrows. It was very, very rare for Remus to go against a teacher like that.

"Detention. Both of you." He snapped before going back to the lesson, the conversation that had just happened seeming to be forgotten.

"Thanks Moony." Nixie whispered to him as he sat back down.

"No problem, Nix." He replied, frowning slightly at his actions.

After the lesson, Nixie left the room very quickly, saying something about wanting to go to the library before dinner. Remus waited outside the door, still frowning.

"Dude? What was that?" James asked as the 3 walked over to him, all looking confused. "You've never said anything to a teacher before, not even when they're picking on us."

"I don't know." Remus replied, trying not to look at Sirius. "When he started talking to Nixie like that, it just made me feel really… protective of her. Like I had to keep her safe."

"Do you like her?" Sirius asked, making Remus frown.

"Not the way you do mate." He said, making Sirius' eyes widen.

"W-what? I don't… Who said…" He said, unable to string a sentence together.

"Come on mate. Anyone can see that you like her." James said, smirking. "I mean, you do spend half of your time stalking her."

"I do not!" He snapped, storming off in the other direction in a huff.

"Wait… Who likes Nixie?" Peter asked, making the other 2 laugh as they walked towards the great hall.

Xxx

"Come on Nix! Why is it such a big deal?" Lily asked, closing her book and looking at her best friend with a frown.

"Because he has it out for me! He has been here for 2 months and he seems to be making my life as hard as he can." She replied. The two were sat in the back corner of the library, researching for their transfiguration homework.

"Rothburn does not have it out for you. He just asked you some hard questions, that's all." Lily replied. "Although I am curious as to what he thinks is strong enough to stop the killing curse." She said as Nixie stood up and left.

"I know you are." She whispered. She walked out of the library, only to walk into someone on her way. "Ow! Shit." She cursed as she fell to the floor, her books flying all over the floor.

"Watch it, loser." A voice hissed, making her look up in shock. Stood over her, was none other than Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black. "Maybe if you weren't such of a blood traitor, you'd actually be able to hold your own." Malfoy snapped as she stood up.

"You know nothing about my blood status, Malfoy." She growled, feeling her magic building inside her.

"Oh look! The little Kitty grew claws!" Bellatrix cackled, her wild hair making her look even more insane. "You had better get out of our way before we make you."

"And how would you do that, cousin?" Nixie turned to see the Marauder's walking up to her, wands in hands, Sirius frowning at his cousin.

"Cousin." She spat, glaring at him.

"Leave Nixie alone." Remus snapped as he stood in front of her, making the girl frown. She knew why he was doing what he was doing, and it only made her more nervous.

"Or what?" Malfoy asked. Nixie and James shared a look and nodded. James, flicked his wand, performing a non-verbal spell that made the two Slytherin's clutch their noses as the Bat Boggy hex worked its magic.

"Argh! I will get you for this!" Bellatrix screeched as the two ran down the corridor, leaving the 5 friends laughing.

"Thanks guys, but I can handle those two on my own." Nixie said as they walked back to the dorm, Sirius taking her books out of her arms.

"We know you can. But 5 wands are better than one." James said, making Sirius smirk.

"Oh, are they James?" He asked, smirking. Peter and Remus laughed, while Nixie slapped his arm.

"Don't be rude!" She snapped. They walked into the common room, still laughing, to see Richard Johnson, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, waiting for them.

"Potter! Black!" He called, running over to them. "I need your help."

"What's up?" James asked, turning very serious all of a sudden.

"We need to hold tryouts!" Johnson said, clearly stressed. "We need a new seeker."

"I thought we found a new seeker at the start of the year." Sirius replied.

"We did. But as it turns out, McLagan can't tell a snitch away from a burger!" He snapped, making Nixie and Remus snigger. "Can you think of anyone who would be good?" The two boys shared a look before turning to face Nixie, who jumped back at their looks.

"No! No way!" She said, putting her hands up. "Don't look at me."

"Oh come on Nix! Please!" James pleaded.

"No! I am not going to be seeker." She said.

"Are you any good?" Johnson asked, looking hopeful.

"No!" She said, at the same time that the 4 boys cried "Yes!"

"Nixie, you were awesome when we were flying the other week." Remus said. "You're a better flyer than James!"

"But that doesn't mean I can play Quidditch! Ask someone else!" She snapped.

"Come on! At least let me see you play. Then, if I think you're not good, I won't choose you." Johnson said. By this point, the whole common room was watching the exchange, all waiting with baited breath to see what she would say.

"No!" She snapped, backing away slightly at the look that James and Sirius shared.

Xxx

"I hate you guys!" She snapped, glaring at the 2 boys in front of her, holding her broom out to her.

"You love us and you know it!" James sang as she snatched the broom. The boys had levitated her all the way to the Quidditch pitch, kicking and screaming, where they employed the help of the one female chasers to get her into a spare kit.

"Right, Ryder. I want you to do 4 laps of the pitch, and then I'm going to release the snitch and you have to catch it as quickly as you can." Johnson said as he led the rest of the Gryffindor team onto the pitch. Nixie gave James and Sirius one last glare before she mounted the broom and started the laps. She did 4 laps quickly and looked down to see the snitch fly off at a fast rate. She rose and sat motionless on her broom a long way above the pitch.

"What is she doing?" James whispered to Sirius. "I have never seen this tactic before."

"I think she's watching the pitch." He replied. The rest of the team were now in the stands, looking at the brunette with interest. Before anyone could do anything else, Nixie quickly leant forwards, shooting down in a nose dive, pulling up and zooming towards the goals. When she pulled up, she had the snitch firmly in her hand.

"That was quick!" Lucas Rohan, one of the chasers, said.

"Too quick." Sirius muttered, too low for anyone to hear.

"Wow! That was great!" Johnson said as she landed. He frowned before smiling brightly. "Let's try something different."

"What's going on?" James turned to see Lily behind him, looking at the pitch in confusion.

"Nixie's trying out for seeker." He announced, making her frown.

"I thought she didn't want to try out." She said, hands on hips.

"Who said she was doing it voluntarily?" Sirius replied with a smirk.

"Alright Nixie, This time, when I release the snitch, I want you to have your eyes closed, and then mount up and find it when I tell you." Johnson said, making Nixie frown.

"I have watched tryouts since first year, and you've never done this before." She said, crossing her arms.

"No one has caught the snitch that fast before." He replied, staring her down. She glared, before closing her eyes. A few seconds later, Johnson gave her the signal and she mounted her broom, shooting back up to high above the pitch, sitting as still as she could.

"Why did you make her do this?" Lily asked as they watched her.

"Because she's good and she loves flying." Sirius said, too busy watching Nixie to see the looks Lily and James were giving him.

"How do you know that she loves flying mate?" James asked, making Sirius freeze. "She's only flew with us once."

"Umm… I just… Umm.." He stumbled.

"You just watch her out of the window every chance you get." He laughed, making Lily smirk.

"Sirius, do you like Nixie?" She asked, making James freeze.

"Of course I like her. I mean, she is a Marauder." He said, trying to act cool.

"No, I mean do you like her, as more than a friend, or Marauder." She asked, a strange glint in her eye.

"Umm…" He looked at Lily's face with slightly widened eyes, reminding Lily of a deer caught in headlights.

"Unbelievable!" Someone gasped, making them turn to see that Nixie had silently grabbed the snitch.

"Hey, let's go see what Johnson says!" Sirius said, running down the steps as fast as he could, leaving Lily and James laughing in the stands.

"That was amazing!" Johnson yelled as Nixie landed, running over to her. "You have to join the team!"

"But-" She started, only to be silenced when Sirius put his hand over her mouth.

"She'd love to!" He announced, making her shake her head.

"Come on Nix! No one is as good as you. You have to join the team." James said as he ran over. "I have never seen anyone fly like that!"

"Yeah Nixie, you have to join the team!" Lily said, standing next to her friend. "For God's sake Black, let her go so she can talk." Sirius moved his hand and Nixie glared at him before looking at the rest of the team.

"You really want me on the team?" She asked.

"YES!" They shouted, making her jump slightly.

"But-"

"For crying out loud! Just say yes!" Lily snapped, making everyone look at her in shock. "I don't think Gryffindor could find a better seeker, ever!"

"Alright. Fine!" She said, making them cheer. Sirius and James hoisted her onto their shoulders and marched her through the school, the rest of the team chanting her name. McGonagall watched them pass and smiled, happy that the Marauders had finally go Nixie to get more involved.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Just want to clear something up.**

**In response to a guests comment on the previous chapter, I know that the films say that James was seeker in Quidditch, but in the books and on Harry Potter wiki pages, James was the chaser, and I am following the books for this story and not the films, since there is no Peeves in the films and a lot of the details, including James' position in Quidditch, are very different. **

**Thank you for the follows and the reviews. They mean a lot **

Chapter 3

Nixie was sat at the long table in the great hall, waiting for the mail to arrive. By now, the whole school knew about the new addition to the Gryffindor team, and she had received numerous congratulations from Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, as well as a lot of glares and hisses from the Slytherins, which was nothing new for her.

"Hey Pixie." She jumped as Sirius dropped down onto the bench beside her. "What's for breakfast?"

"Stop calling me that!" She snapped, smacking his arm.

"Ow! Merlin woman! You hit hard." He complained, holding onto his arm. "Why are you so jumpy?"

"No reason." She replied, smiling as the rest of the Marauders sat down. "So, what's the plan for this lovely weekend?"

"Well, I thought we could explore more of those passages we found." James said, piling food onto his plate.

"Which ones?" Remus asked. The 5 had found a variety of passages over their 5 years at Hogwarts, and they were determined to find out where they go.

"What about the one that Nixie told us about?" Peter suggested.

"I told you about a lot of passages." She said with a laugh. "I'll have to think of which ones I haven't explored yet." She said, frowning into her food as she thought. "Maybe we should make a map. Then we'd be able to keep track of all of the passages."

"But Hogwarts can't be plotted on a map." James said, frowning at his female friend.

"It can't be plotted on a geographical map. But there is nothing stopping us from making a map of the actual school. You know, everything inside. All the rooms, passages, statues, that sort of thing." Remus said, smiling as well.

"You ok Moony? You look pale." Nixie said, making the other 4 stiffen.

"Yeah, I'm just not feeling too great." He replied, smiling slightly.

"Maybe you should go back to bed." She suggested.

"And leave you with these monsters? What sort of friend would that make me?" He asked with a stiff laugh, making Sirius frown. They finished breakfast and went back to their dorms so that they could get changed into more suitable clothing, as well as making a start on the map.

"Mate, maybe you should stay here. You know what tonight is." James said to Remus as they pulled their shoes on.

"I'll be fine. Besides, if we all go walking around now, then we have an excuse to stay in the dorm tomorrow." He replied, walking out of the door before anyone could stop him. They found Nixie in the common room and walked to the library, rolls of parchment between them. Once sat down, they started mapping out the interior of the school, starting at the bottom and working their way up.

Throughout the day, there were whispered arguments of which passages were where and which statue was in which corridor. By the time dinner rolled around, they had mapped out the majority of the school, and just needed to finish marking off the passages.

"I say we go tomorrow, get a good start before anyone realises what we're up to." Nixie said, before silently cursing herself, knowing what they were going to say.

"Maybe not tomorrow. I want to get some homework done." Remus said easily, making the other 3 frown.

"What about you guys? We can get the exploring done while captain boring does work." She said, making Sirius smirk at her choice of name.

"Let's decide in the morning." James said, sitting down at the table. Once dinner finished, the boys excused themselves to their dorm before sneaking out of the tower under James' invisibility cloak, trying to stay hidden from anyone in the corridor as they made their way to the Whomping Willow. Once they made it to the shrieking shack, they shed the cloak and lounged on the broken furniture.

"We should tell her." Peter said, making them look up. "You know, Nixie deserves to know what we do every month."

"Pete," Remus started, looking paler as time went by. "If we tell Nixie that I'm a werewolf, then it will be on my terms." The other 2 shared a look as the moon rose and Remus' cries echoed in the room. The 3 humans shifted into their animal forms, all thinking one thing. They were going to have some fun while they could.

Xxx

Nixie walked through the trees, looking at the animals that ran around her feet. She smiled as she entered a clearing she found during first year, one she would come to every full moon. She knew that she shouldn't be in the forest, especially tonight, but she didn't care. It was the one night of the month that she wouldn't sleep, and she was going to make the most of it. She laughed as creatures of all sorts ran around her feet, some muggle, like the squirrels and the rabbits, and some magical, like the nifflers and the Crups. She sighed in relief as she felt her magic flow through her veins. The birds circling overhead made her smile as she hummed a tune, before starting to sing.

_Watch all the flowers,  
Dance in the wind.  
Listen to Snowflakes,  
Whisper your name.  
Feel all the wonder,  
Lifting your dreams.  
You can fly._

_Fly to who you are  
Climb upon your star.  
You believe, you'll find your wings  
Fly to your heart._

Sirius froze, his ears twitching, making James look at him. "_What is it_?" The stag asked, still amazed at the group's ability to hear each other in animal form.

"_Can you hear that_?" Sirius asked, making the two turn towards where the sound was coming from.

"_It sounds like…. Singing_." Peter said from his perch in James' antlers. They looked at Remus in worry, but he still seemed to be in control of the wolf and seemed just as curious.

_Touch every rainbow,  
Painting the sky.  
Look at the magic,  
glide through your life.  
A sprinkle of Pixie dust circles the night  
You can fly._

_Fly to who you are  
Climb upon your star.  
You believe, you'll find your wings.  
Fly._

"_Let's follow it_." He said, bounding off in the direction of the singing, making the other three panic before following. They stopped at the edge of a clearing and watched in shock as Nixie danced around the clearing, the grass swaying with her singing and a variety of animals dancing with her.

_Everywhere you go  
your soul will find a home  
You'll be free to spread your wings  
Fly  
You can Fly  
To your heart._

_Rise to the heights of all you can be  
Soar on the hope of marvellous things_

_Fly to who you are  
Climb upon your star  
you believe, you'll find your wings  
Fly  
Everywhere you go  
your soul will find a home  
you'll be free to spread your wings.  
Fly  
you can fly  
to your heart._

"_Wow._" James said, smirking as he saw the look on Sirius' face.

"_She's amazing_." Sirius whispered. Peter froze when he saw all the animals run from the clearing, only to squeak when he saw why.

"_Moony_!" He hissed, making the other two look over and freeze. The wolf had crept forward into the clearing, making a branch snap. Nixie spun around and her eyes widened when she saw what was there. Sirius sprang into action. He jumped over the bushes and made for the wolf, who jumped towards Nixie, standing in front of her and growling at the stag, dog and rat in front of him.

"_Moony! Stop it_!" James commanded, lifting his head high, making Peter feel sick.

"_Leave her_!" Sirius growled.

"_Go_!" The wolf snapped, Remus no longer there.

"Wolf!" Nixie snapped, making the wolf stiffen. "Stand down!" She commanded, making the wolf shrink and move to the side.

"_Did she just…. Order him to move_?" Sirius asked. "_And he did_."

"Yes, I did Padfoot." She said, smirking as the mouths of the three animagus' popped open. "Don't look so surprised. Did you really think I didn't know?"

"_Can she understand us_?" James asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Yes, I can James." She laughed. Sirius made a step towards them, making the wolf growl. "Stop. They are friends. Your friends." She said. The wolf seemed dazed, before another voice rang out.

"_Nixie_?" Remus asked, once again in control. "_But…. How_?"

"I'll tell you in the morning. For now, you may want to get back to the shrieking shack. It's nearly sunrise." The 4 boys nodded before running off, making Nixie look up with a sigh. "Guess I'll have to tell them now." She whispered before making her way back to Gryffindor tower before anyone woke up.


	4. Chapter 4

The Fifth Marauder

Chapter 4

James, Sirius and Peter sat outside the medical wing, waiting for Remus to be let out. The boys had been silent for the rest of the night, only talking when needed and not about what had happened. Sirius finally got fed up, standing up and beginning to pace.

"What's on your mind, Padfoot?" James asked, not looking up at his friend.

"What do you think?" He snapped, not stopping his pacing. After a couple more paces, he stopped and faced James. "How did she do it? It was like she knew that he would listen. Why? And why was he so protective of her? I mean, he tried to hurt us. Us! And he didn't even make one threatening move towards her."

"As soon as he's out, we'll find her and ask. She did say she'd explain after all." James replied, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes.

"Why was she in the Forest anyway?" Peter asked, looking up at Sirius with a frown.

"Let's go find out." Remus said, walking out of the medical wing.

"Do you remember what happened?" James asked, standing up.

"No. But from the sounds of your conversation, someone owes us an explanation." He said, smirking slightly. They walked up to the tower, explaining to Remus what had happened, which only made him even more confused. When they entered the common room, they saw Nixie sat on the sofa, strumming away on her guitar. When she saw the quartet, she stood and walked towards them, her guitar still strapped to her shoulder.

"Nixie…" Remus started as she got close.

"Not here." She whispered. "Follow me." They followed her out of the room and down to the third floor. They paused in front of a wall which she paced in front of 3 times. The boys watched mesmerised as the wall melted into a door, which Nixie pushed open to reveal a room which looked just like the Gryffindor common room, a roaring fire in the fireplace. "Sit down." She muttered, closing the door behind them and sitting in the armchair.

"What is this place?" James asked, looking around the room as they sat on the sofa, Sirius taking the other armchair.

"The room of requirement. It changes its interior to match the individual's needs." She said, leaning forward, her guitar now laying on the floor next to the chair. "But that isn't what you wanted to ask me."

"How?" Remus asked, making everyone look at him. "How did you stop me last night? How did you know about these guys? And how did you hear them?" She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"How much do you know about your history? And by that, I mean werewolf history." She asked, looking at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows.

"Not much." He replied, making her chuckle slightly.

"Didn't think so." She whispered. "Did you know that originally, werewolves were created to be good? To be protectors."

"What do you mean?" James asked, leaning forward as Nixie stood up, pacing slowly in front of them.

"This is going very far back in wizarding history, but wizards aren't the first magical creatures, and they are far from the purest." She said, looking at Sirius with a smirk. "Your family would die if they knew about their real ancestry."

"You've lost me." Peter said, making her smile again.

"Ok, a long time ago, when witches and wizards were just beginning, the rulers of the magical world created werewolves to protect them from the wizards who wanted to harm them. This meant that while in human form, they would have heightened senses, increased speed and more strength. And on the full moon, the night when witches and wizards can get into their world, they turn into creatures whose sole purpose is to protect their creators. Making them the perfect protectors."

"What are they protecting? And what do you mean about ancestry?" Sirius asked, finally speaking.

"Witches and Wizards are descendants of the rulers of magical kingdom. Of Fairies." The room was still as she said this. "Actually, witches and wizards were the product of a fairy mating with a muggle. So, in actual fact, there is no such thing as pure-bloods and half-bloods. Even muggle-born's, they are just from families where magic has been inactive for years."

"Fairies don't exist." Peter said, looking confused.

"Yes they do." She replied, smiling slightly.

"How do you know this? It's never come up in history of magic." Remus said.

"Because I'm one." She said, biting her lip. "I'm a fairy." There was silence as they boys took this in. "Actually, I'm the last of the fairies. My parents, the last of our kind, died when I was 4. That's why I was adopted by the Ryders. My parents left me on their doorstep."

"But…. How? I mean, shouldn't you have wings." James asked, making her smile.

"You wanna see them?" She asked, receiving an eager nod from James. She closed her eyes and spread her arms, her body starting to glow. Her hair seemed to be blown by a non-existent wind and with a flash, everything changed. Her robes transformed into a blue, knee length, shimmering dress with matching ballet slippers. Her hair became even wavier, pulled back on one side by a silver, flowery headpiece that ran along the side of her head. The boys stared in wonder at the wings that had appeared on her back, a deep purple around the edge that transformed into a soft purple in the middle. Her wings seemed to shimmer in the light, almost like they were embedded with tiny diamonds. "This is it. This is the real me." She said, biting her lip again.

Sirius stood up and slowly walked over to her, reaching out a hand and touching one of her wings with his fingertips, feeling the delicate, yet strong silkiness of them, watching as they shimmered as they slowly moved. "Amazing." He whispered.

"This is how I managed to control you last night, Remus." She said, looking at the sandy-haired boy who still sat on the sofa, his mouth open in slight shock. "Werewolves can only be controlled by fairies. This is also why you have been feeling protective towards me. It is a werewolf's instinct to protect a fairy, even if they don't understand why."

"Hang on!" James, called, standing up. "You said that fairies were rulers, and that you are the last…"

"Yeah." She said, running a hand through her hair. "Technically, I'm a fairy princess." She said, making them look at her in even more shock. "My parents were the king and queen, before someone started killing off my people."

"Killing?" Peter squeaked.

"Yeah. Fairies were dying out. Over the last century, more and more had been mating with muggles and the lines of pure fairies died out. Voldemort caught wind of the few remaining fairies, and killed them. Including my parents." She said, sitting down on the floor. "I was left in the protection of the Ryders. Dumbledore let me come here to protect me, to make sure no one finds out about me. And so that you can come here, Remus."

"What do you mean?" He asked, frowning.

"Fairies don't sleep on the full moon. So, as part of the conditions of me being here, I had to spend the full moon in the forest in case you got out. Or, lately, in case you got away from these idiots. He figured that even if you went after someone, I would be able to stop you." She said before looking at the floor. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't know how you'd react."

"Hey, I didn't tell you either." Remus said with a smile. Nixie smiled before closing her eyes, transforming back into her human form.

"Well, looks like there's going to be 5 of us from now on, huh Pixie." Sirius said, slinging his arm over her shoulder as he sat next to her.

"Don't call me that!" She snapped. "Pixies are small, bird like creatures that are in no way related to fairies."

"Then why are you called Nixie? That's close enough to Pixie for me." He said, getting elbowed.

"Nixie means water sprite. It's tradition for fairies to be named after an element." She replied.

"Hang on, how could you hear us? I mean, we were in animal form." Peter asked, blushing as they looked at him.

"Fairies can understand any animal. And yes, that means that I know what your owl is saying, Padfoot." She said with a smirk.

"Hey, since we have a new Marauder on a full moon, you need a nickname!" Remus said, making her smile. "And by that, I mean one related to your true form."

"What about Wings?" James suggested, making her smile.

"Wings? I like it." She said, smiling brightly.

**There you go. Nixie is a fairy. I don't know why I decided to make her a fairy, the idea just appealed to me. **

**Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for the reviews **


	5. Chapter 5

The Fifth Marauder

Chapter 5

It was nearing the Christmas holidays, and the whole castle was in a festive mood. Hagrid had found the biggest tree he could and it was proudly stood in the great hall. Dumbledore sat down for breakfast, admiring the tree as usual. Unbeknownst to him, the majority of the teaching staff, and students, were on edge. The Marauders, known for their festive pranks, had been surprisingly quiet for the run up to the holidays, not a prank to be seen.

"Is it ready?" A voice whispered as the 5 friends leant across the table to avoid talking loud.

"Yeah. Just need the finishing touch." Sirius said, looking at Nixie with a smirk. The fairy sat back, flexing out her fingers. When the boys discovered that she could do wandless magic, they had been eager to use it to their advantage. She closed her hands into fists, before quickly opening them, palms facing upwards. As soon as she did, there was a bang from the enchanted ceiling, before snow began to float down, sprinkling the hall in a dusting of white.

"Step one, complete." James said, lifting his arm up. "Commence step 2." Everyone in the hall was suddenly very itchy, and when they looked down, there were screams as they realised what had happened. Their skin had changed colour, as well as their hair. The Slytherins had green skin with silver hair, Ravenclaws blue skin with bronze hair, Hufflepuff yellow skin with black hair, and Gryffindor's red skin with gold hair. The heads of houses had the same skin and hair as their house. The rest of the teachers had orange skin with green hair, and Dumbledore's robes had transformed to make him resemble Santa Clause.

"Well, this is a new one." He said, making the rest of the hall laugh before he continued with his breakfast.

"How in the world did they manage this?" Rothburn asked, glaring at the Marauders.

"It seems like they filled the snow with a potion that changed the skin and hair of everyone they came into contact with." Dumbledore replied.

"How did they dress you up though?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Mr Lupin obviously got the hang of how to transfigure clothes." McGonagall said. "But he really should learn how to use his wand more discretely." The teachers laughed before heading to their respective classrooms, Rothburn giving the Marauders one last glare.

For the entire day, everyone stayed the colours of their house, not able to wash it off, no matter how hard they tried.

"Did you really need to do this?" Lily asked as she sat next to Nixie in charms later that day. "I mean, what was the point?"

"Oh come on Lil! It's awesome!" She replied, smiling at her friend brightly. "And besides, we haven't pulled a prank in a while. We couldn't have everyone thinking they were safe." She winked, earning a laugh from her friend. Lily had to admit, things at Hogwarts had got a lot more interesting since Nixie had teamed up with the Marauders. The rest of the day went without any more surprises, and soon everyone was packing their bags to go home for the holidays.

"So, what's your plan for the holiday?" Lily asked as she watched Nixie pack her bag.

"My parents are having this party on New Year's Eve, so I'll have to go to that." She replied, frowning at her friend. "Why aren't you packing?"

"I'm not going home." She said, making Nixie frown. "Petunia's invited her boyfriend over and has kindly asked for the 'freak' to stay away."

"Well then, you had better get packing." Nixie replied, making her friend frown. "Because you are not borrowing my clothes."

"What are you…." Lily started as Nixie thrust a bag into her hands.

"You are coming to mine. No ifs, ands or buts." She said, smirking at her friend. "I can't have my best friend stuck here for Christmas." The two girls hugged before packing quickly and running down to the common room where the Marauders were waiting. "Hello ladies."

"Finally! I thought you'd never get packed!" Sirius said, slinging his arm over Nixie's shoulder. "So Evans, what are you doing for the holiday?"

"I'm staying at Nixie's, Black." She replied, linking her arm with Nixie's and pulling her out of Sirius' arms. "And unless you are staying here, I suggest you get a move on. The train won't wait for you." The 4 boys watched the girls for a second with wide eyes before grabbing their stuff and following, trying to catch up to them.

The train ride was an entertaining affair. Sirius was trying to see how far he could push Nixie before she snapped at him, which wasn't very far, and Remus was trying to act as a buffer between James and Lily. Yet his efforts proved futile, as the two still argued about anything and everything.

"One of these days, those two are going to stop arguing and start kissing." Nixie whispered as they walked behind the arguing pair.

"Well, Prongs has already admitted his love for her. But she always turns him down." Sirius replied.

"Maybe that's because when he asks her, he is always being a dick." She replied with a laugh.

"Nixie!" A voice called, making Nixie's face light up.

"Mum!" She ran forward and gave the older woman a hug. "Mum, these are my friends. James, Sirius, Peter, Remus and Lily."

"I have heard a lot about you guys." Mrs Ryder said with a smile. "Well, Nixie, Lily. We should get going." The two girls waved to the boys before following Mrs Ryder out of the station.

Xxx

"Nixie! Lily! Hurry up girls!" The two girls ran down the stairs, almost crashing into Mr Ryder at the bottom. "Woah! I didn't mean break your necks on the stairs." He laughed, stopping the girls from toppling over.

"Sorry Dad." Nixie giggled, sharing a look with Lily. "So, what needs doing?" It was New Year's Eve and the girls were helping to decorate the house.

"I need you girls to help Bubbles decorate the living room. Don't do anything she doesn't tell you." He replied before watching the girls run off to the living room, shaking his head at them.

"Miss Nixie! Miss Lily! Are you here to help Bubbles?" The house elf asked from the pile of streamers she was stood in.

"Yeah Bubbles. What do you want us to do?" Lily asked, helping the elf untangle herself from the streamers.

"Thank you Miss Lily. The sofas need to be moved to the side of the room, and the drinks need to be brought up." Bubbles said, making the girls smile.

"We're on it!" Nixie exclaimed, helping Lily to drag the sofas out of the way. Once they were in the spot that Bubbles wanted them, the two headed down to the cellar to get the drinks.

"I thought house elves were the ones taking orders, not giving them." Lily said as the two made their way down the stairs.

"They are, but we are pretty relaxed with our elves." Nixie replied, unlocking the door at the bottom. "We believe that if we let them have more freedom with how they conduct their work, then they are more willing to listen to us and help. Bubbles has been with my parents longer than I have, so I'm not really comfortable giving her orders."

"I wonder how their magic works." Lily mused as they collected the various drinks for the night. "I mean, surely they can just apparate away if they want to leave."

"Actually, they are bonded to their master's through some ancient magic. The only way that they can be freed, is by their master handing them a piece of clothing. That is why house elves typically never wash clothes." Nixie said, making Lily look at her with raised eyebrows. "And most of them want to obey their masters. Among house elves, being freed is a sign of incompetence and is heavily frowned on…. What?" She asked, finally taking notice of her friends face.

"You fall asleep more than anyone in History of magic. Actually, I don't think you have ever stayed awake for one lesson. How do you know all of this?" She asked, making Nixie smirk.

"History of magic is actually really interesting, but the way that Binns teaches it isn't. I tend to read books instead." She said, the two making their way back up the stairs. "Like, did you know that in terms of blood purity, witches and wizards are actually quite low down on the list? Below unicorns, centaurs and even goblins."

"You know, I think Sirius may be right. You have way too much free time." She said, the two laughing as they got back into the living room, seeing Mr and Mrs Ryder inspecting the decorations.

"Did Bubbles let you do anything?" Mrs Ryder asked as they put the drinks on the table.

"Only move the sofas and get the drinks." Nixie said with a laugh.

"Go and get ready girls. The guests will be here in two hours." Mrs Ryder told them, making them run upstairs to pick out their outfits.

"This is hopeless! I have nothing to wear!" Lily snapped, falling onto the bed face down.

"Come on Lil! You must have something." Nixie replied, looking though her friend's bag.

"Surprisingly enough, Muggles don't have fancy parties like this, so I never had any reason to buy dresses." She said, turning over and glaring at her friend. Nixie, frowned for a second before smiling.

"Wait here a second." The fairy walked into her walk-in wardrobe and emerged a second later, holding out a dress. "What about this?" The dress was floor length with ¾ sleeves. . The deep green colour matched Lily's eyes perfectly, the neckline looked like it would accent her chest perfectly. The bodice was tight and glittery, with a flowing skirt. "This will look amazing on you!"

"Oh my god." Lily whispered, standing up and taking the dress. "It's beautiful."

"You'll definitely look the part in that." She said smiling. Nixie and her mum had already warner Lily that she needed to act like a pureblood for this party, as there was a no muggles allowed for these balls. Thankfully, the majority of witches and wizards attending were not blood purists.

"Nixie, I can't wear this." She said, looking at the dress in wonder.

"You can and you will. Now come on. We need to finish getting ready."

**The link for Lily's dress is below. Just take the spaces out. **

uk. millybridal product/ beautiful- a- line- v- neck- chiffon- with- appliques- lace- sweep- train- long- sleeve- prom- dresses -ukm020103677-20114. html?gclid= Cj0KEQjwyN7JBRCZn7LKgb3ki8kBEiQAaLEsqk1AEcjUwnGO94613Jjg1ctPwUVow9- J0Y0UK9GSWxUaAjRP8P8HAQ


	6. Chapter 6

The Fifth Marauder

Chapter 6

Sirius sighed as he walked into the mansion, trying not to run a hand through his hair. The last thing that he wanted to do on his holiday was attend a pureblood party, but his mother wouldn't accept any of his excuses. And so, he had been subjected to spell after spell shot at his hair to make it lay flat and still. He followed his mother into the main room, smirking when he saw his best mate stood with his parents.

"Sirius, why don't you go and mingle. And try not to disgrace our family any further." His mother snapped, making him frown.

"Yes Mother." He said before high-tailing it to where his friend was. "Prongs!" He called as he got near. James turn and smiled, embracing his friend as his parents went off to talk to some of the other guests.

"Padfoot! What are you doing here?" He asked, smirking at his friend's hair.

"Mother dearest decided that we need to attend as many of these things as possible." He growled out, finally running a hand through his hair to make it messy. "And I'm assuming, since your family was invited that these guys aren't just another blood purist family."

"Well I'd hope not, since this is Wings' house." He said, making Sirius' mouth open.

"This is Nixie's house?" He asked, looking around frantically. "Where is she?"

"Haven't seen her yet mate. But have you seen the size of this place?" He said, looking around in wonder. "I think that this is bigger than my place."

"Oh hell." Sirius murmured. "Hide me." He ducked behind James, who looked around and stared in shock at what his friend had seen.

"Dude! Is that Bellatrix?" James whispered, watching the woman on the other side of the room. "What is she doing here?"

"My mother must have invited her." Sirius said, looking around. "I don't want to deal with her right now." He froze, looking at something on the other side of the room, his mouth slightly open.

"Padfoot? What is it?" James asked, smirking when he followed his friend's eye line. Nixie was stood with a group of people, smiling at something they were saying. She was wearing a floor length red dress with a slit up one side, showing her leg and silver heels. The back of the dress consisted of crisscrossed glittery straps, her long brown hair was curled and pinned over her right shoulder, leaving her back exposed. James looked back at Sirius and smirked. "Mate, you're drooling."

"No I'm not." He snapped, his mouth closing as he quickly raised his hand to wipe his chin, glaring at his friend.

"She does look nice." James replied, but his attention was captured by Lily who was talking to Nixie's parents.

"Nice? She looks beautiful." Sirius replied, still watching Nixie. Almost as if she could feel his gaze, she turned and saw him. She smiled and waved at him before saying something to the people she was with. She made her way over, making Sirius move to meet her in the middle.

"Hey!" She said, pulling him to a hug when they met.

"Hey." He replied, trying not to think about his hand on the bare skin of her back as he pulled away. "I didn't know that this was your place?"

"Yeah. I didn't think you'd turn up to be honest. Something about your mum hating my parents." She said, smirking at him.

"Well, they don't exactly share the same views." He replied with a wink. "You know, James was here somewhere…." He trailed off, unable to see his friend anywhere.

"He's probably stalking Lily right now. She looks hot tonight." She said with a smirk. Sirius looked at her with a frown.

"Wings….." He started.

"Don't worry. My mum and I gave her a crash course on acting like a pureblood." She whispered, making him laugh.

"Sirius!" A voice snapped, making all humour leave his face.

"Mother." He replied as a stern woman stood in front of him. Nixie could see where he got his hair and jaw line from, but the scowl was something she had never seen on his face.

"You are supposed to be mingling, not flirting." She snapped, making Nixie blush.

"Oh, no. You must be mistaken." She said, holding her hand out. "I'm Nixie Ryder. This is my parent's party." She said. Mrs Black glared at her hand before turning her nose up. "Ok…." She murmured as she withdrew her hand and quickly glanced around the room. "I'm…er…. Going to get more drinks." She said, gesturing to the drinks table. "Yeah." She turned and quickly walked away, not wanting to be in the woman's presence any longer. She walked over to the drinks table and took note of what was there before heading out of the room and down to the cellar.

She sighed as she walked into the cellar, picking up bottles from the rack and putting them into her arms. She jumped as she heard a noise, spinning around to see someone she didn't want to see stood at the door, a smirk on their face. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to greet the hosts." The sickly voice replied as Bellatrix Black waltzed into the room, sneering at everything around her. "Don't you have house elves to do this?"

"My parents gave the elves the night off." Nixie replied, glaring at the girl. "After all, they did spend all day cooking, cleaning and decorating."

"Ungrateful creatures." She hissed, making Nixie glare even more.

"You aren't allowed in here. Please leave before I make you." She ground out, making Bellatrix laugh.

"Oh please. You have only just turned 16. I, on the other hand, am allowed to do magic outside of school." She cackled before pulling a wand out and sending a spell Nixie's way. Nixie narrowed her eyes and flicked her hand, making the spell bend at the last second, hitting the wall behind her. Bellatrix tried again, only to get the same result.

"What's the matter, Bella? Can't aim right?" Nixie taunted, making the girl angrier.

"Crucio!" She screeched, only to find that the spell rebounded, making her duck just before she got hit. "How did you do that?" She growled as she stood up.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Nixie replied as footsteps thundered down the stairs.

"Nixie!" Mrs Ryder called as she reached the cellar, running to her daughter.

"I'm fine Mum." She replied, still glaring at Bellatrix. "I was just informing Miss Black that it was time for her to leave."

"Yes, I think that is quite right." Mr Ryder replied. Sirius sauntered into the room, Lily and James close behind.

"Bellatrix. Mother is looking for you. I suggest you inform her of your leaving on your way out." He drawled, back straight and eyes like fire.

"I will find out her secret, cousin." Bellatrix whispered in his ear before storming out of the room and out of the house.

"Nothing is ever quiet here, is it?" Mrs Ryder asked, sounding exasperated. "Go on kids. Go and enjoy the party."

Xxx

"Have fun girls. And Nixie, try not to get into trouble." Mrs Ryder said as she gave both girls a hug at the station.

"No promises Mum." Nixie said with a laugh, making her mum glare.

"Thank you for having me, Mrs Ryder. I had a really good time." Lily said with a smile.

"It was our pleasure Lily. But if I have to tell you to call me Mary one more time, I will make you weed the garden next time you are over." She replied with a smirk. "Now go on. You don't want to miss the train." The two girls ran onto the train, having already sorted their luggage out.

"Your Mum isn't serious, is she?" Lily whispered to Nixie as they found an empty compartment.

"Please. The chances of Mum letting anyone touch her precious garden is the same as the chance of Bubbles letting you clean." She replied with a laugh, making Lily join her.

"Well, you two are in good spirits." Sirius said as the boys entered the compartment. Sirius sat next to Nixie and as James went to sit next to Lily, Remus pushed him into the seat next to Sirius, taking the seat for himself as Peter shut the door.

"Who wouldn't be happy when they are on their way to a castle filled with magic?" Nixie replied with a giggle, making them smirk.

"So, any prank ideas yet?" James asked, making Lily groan.

"No way! You guys are not planning pranks around me! I want nothing to do with it." Lily protested, making Nixie smirk.

"Don't worry Lil. We never plan anything harmful." She said with a wink.

"This is going to be an interesting journey." Remus muttered to Peter as James and Lily started to argue again. Sirius looked over at Nixie and saw that although she seemed happy on the outside, there was something in her eyes making him think that she was just putting on an act. A quick glance at Remus let him know that he wasn't the only one who saw it.

"Well well well. Look who it is." A voice sneered, making everyone look up to see Belatrix and Lucius stood in the open doorway. "My blood traitor cousin and his lousy mates!"

"Don't you have a 1st year to torment Bellatrix?" Sirius asked, barely looking at his cousin for longer than a second.

"Oh I do, but there is something we need to discuss first." She said. Before anyone could blink, Lucius flicked his wand and they all found themselves unable to move. The two stepped into the compartment and closed the door, shutting the blinds to keep anyone from seeing what they were going to do.

"What the hell?" Sirius growled out. "Let us go Bellatrix!"

"All in good time cousin. Now," She sang, waltzing over to where Nixie sat next to the window. "You are going to tell me how you deflected my curse."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Nixie ground out, her eyes narrowing as she tried to use her magic to break Lucius' spell.

"You know exactly what I am talking about. You managed to deflect all of my spells, and an unforgivable without moving or even touching a wand, and I want to know how." She said, bending down so that she was at eye level with the younger witch.

"You want to know, or Voldemort does?" She asked, making silence fall over the compartment. Next thing they knew, Bellatrix had slapped Nixie in the face and thrown her to the floor.

"Nixie!" 5 voices called out in horror, the Marauders all trying to get to their friend as Bellatrix kicked her in her gut.

"Leave her alone!" James snapped, trying desperately to move.

"Make me!" She hissed, only to be thrown into the window as the door opened. They looked up to see professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, looking murderous.

"Never in all my years have I ever seen such sight." She hissed, stalking to Lucius and snatching his wand out of his hand before doing the same to Bellatrix. "I don't know what makes you think you have the right to terrorise younger students, let alone your cousin, but it stops now. It will not be tolerated. Not here and not in school. You will both be in detention with me for a month, and 20 points will be taken from Slytherin. Each." She snapped, still glaring as she flicked her wand, lifting the spell that Lucius cast over the teens, making Sirius jump up and help Nixie to her feet. "Now I suggest you go back to your own compartment. And if I see you out of it before we reach the station, you will receive further punishment." The two grumbled, but quickly left the compartment, knowing it was not a good idea to anger the Gryffindor head any further.

"Thank you professor." Nixie groaned, still in pain from where she was kicked.

"Are you alright my dear?" McGonagall asked as Sirius and James helped Nixie sit down, her face contorting in pain with every movement.

"I'll be fine. Just winded." She replied, slightly breathless.

"Professor, why are you on the train Not that we aren't thankful that you are, it's just that teachers are normally already at the school by now." Lily asked, shaking slightly from what she had witnessed.

"I shouldn't say, but since it is you 6, I think it would be wise to let you know." She said, taking the spare seat in the compartment before flicking her wand to close the door. "I am only telling you all this because you need to be more careful. No more outlandish pranks that will get you noticed."

"What do you mean? Noticed by who?" Remus asked, frowning at the woman.

"Voldemort is gaining more power." She said, ignoring Peter's flinch at the name. "We believe that he has infiltrated Hogwarts. He has spies in there who are looking for potential recruits. And if any of you make yourselves noticed, then he will be very likely to recruit you. And when you get an offer, you don't turn it down unless you want to be killed."

"I'm sorry professor, but surely if there are death eaters in Hogwarts, I should leave. I mean, they are killing muggle-borns." Lily said, making the others frown.

"I don't think you have to worry about that my dear." McGonagall replied, putting a hand on her knee. "Voldemort is ruthless, but all he wants, is power. And you have a lot of it. He isn't about to let power and skill like what you have go to waste." She stood up, looking at each face for a second. "None of you are to repeat what you have learnt to anyone. Whether it be your peers or your parents. No one is to know. And please, for everyone's sanity, stay safe." She said before leaving the compartment.

"She still didn't say why she was here." James muttered.

"Isn't it obvious?" Nixie asked, making them look at her. "She's here to protect us. Voldemort's looking for recruits, and we know that Bellatrix and Malfoy are more than likely on his side. She's making sure nothing happens to anyone on the train."

"This is insane. When did things get this bad?" Sirius asked, frowning as he looked out the window.

"It's been happening, but we've just been oblivious to it." Remus replied. "We need to keep an eye out, and be more careful." The gang shared somber looks, knowing that this year was about to get even more complicated than it was before.

**Here you go guys. Hope you enjoyed. **


	7. Chapter 7

The fifth Marauder

Chapter 7

Lily watched Nixie with narrowed eyes as she ran around the dorm, throwing everything aside.

"Where is it?" She mumbled, throwing another shirt across the room.

"Nixie, what the hell are you looking for?" Lily asked, still glaring at her friend.

"That piece of parchment! I can't find it!" She said, still rummaging through the rest of her belongings.

"You mean that thing that you are always fretting over with the boys?" Lily asked, folding her arms. "What is it anyway?"

"Just a prank we're working on." She said, not looking up.

"A prank? Nix, you heard McGonagall! No pranks! We don't know who is around and what they are seeing!" She exclaimed, making Nixie look up with a frown.

"Lil, stop worrying. It is nothing bad, I swear. It's just a small joke we're working on." She said, sitting down next to her friend. "What brought this on?"

"You are always running off with the others, especially on nights like this." She said, sighing as she looked at her hands. Nixie's eyes widened as she realised what her friend was on about. "I'm not asking you to tell me anything. I think I know what is going on, but I don't want to get involved uninvited. But I need you to tell me one thing, are any of you in danger? Is there a chance you're going to get hurt?" Lily asked, looking up at Nixie with pain filled eyes.

"Oh Lil! No. There is no danger of any of us getting hurt." She said, pulling the redheaded girl into a hug. "I would tell you if I could, I swear!"

"I know you would. Just promise me that you'll be careful Nix. Now more than ever." She whispered.

"I will Lil. I promise." The two embraced for a few minutes before pulling away and standing up, both smiling at each other gently.

"I think the boys are downstairs. Maybe one of them knows where the parchment is." Lily suggested, smiling again.

"I'll go check. Thanks Lil." She said before running down the stairs and to where the 4 boys lounged on the sofa. "You guys seen the map?" She whispered, making them look at her in panic.

"You had it!" James hissed, trying to stay quiet.

"I know it's my turn, but it isn't where I would have left it! I don't remember it ever being in my room." She replied. They all shared looks before running up to the boy's dorm, locking the door behind them.

"Ok, where was it last?" Remus asked, sitting down as he started to feel weak.

"We used it to get into Filch's office last week. Has anyone seen it since then?" Sirius asked, only to groan at the shaking heads. "Great! Filch could have had it all this time!"

"But it doesn't even work properly yet. He probably doesn't realise what it is." Peter suggested glancing at Remus worriedly.

"We don't know that he has it! It could be in here." James said, trying to hold onto hope that the map wasn't lost. "Remus and I will look in here. Nix, you go look around Myrtle's bathroom. Maybe we dropped it around there."

"You just want me to go so that she doesn't hit on you again, don't you?" She accused, crossing her arms.

"Of course." He replied with a smirk. "Pete, you go check in the library. Sirius, take the cloak and check Filch's office." They all ran off to do as they were told, Sirius giving Nixie a wink before they split up. On Sirius' way down the stairs, he came across Snape sat on the stairs and cursed his luck.

"Where are you running off to Black? Off to find the rest of your motley crew? Or have they disowned you as well?" He sneered as Sirius passed him, grinding his teeth as he went.

"No one has disowned me Snape. Unlike you, I am very good looking, lovable character." He snapped, not breaking his stride.

"You are a disappointment to your family! Even your brother has seen the light!" He sneered, making Sirius freeze. "What? So caught up with yourself that you didn't notice dear Regulus taking up his true status and joining the right side. You are so naive. You and those Blood traitor's you hang around with." Sirius spun around, his wand under Snape's chin.

"You can say whatever you want to me, but you do not say anything about my friends!" He snapped, making Snape's eyes narrow.

"What? Is little Sirius Black protective of his friends? Can they not protect themselves?" He taunted, making Sirius smirk.

"Come to the whomping willow tonight and you'll see how well we can take care of ourselves." He snapped, spinning around and storming to Filches' office, forgetting all about the confrontation in favour of searching for the map.

Xxx

"Sirius!" He turned to see James running up to him, Peter on his tail. The two ran half way up the stairs to the boy's dorm and smiled at their friend. "We found it. It was in Mooney's bag the whole time."

"Good. Speaking of, where is Mooney? And Wings?" Sirius asked as they continued climbing the stairs up the tower.

"Wings has gone back to her dorm. Said something about needing to clean up." Peter said, walking behind the two. "Mooney's at the shack."

"Yeah. We have to get going if we're going to beat the moon." James replied, only to frown as Sirius stopped moving.

"Oh no." He gasped, his eyes widening.

"Padfoot? What is it mate?" He asked, sharing a confused look with Peter.

"I can't believe I did that! Why didn't I keep my big mouth shut! Why did I tell him?" He exclaimed, running his hands through his hair.

"Sirius, what are you on about? What did you say?" James asked, taking a step towards him.

"Everything! I told him everything!" He said, still not making sense.

"Who?" Peter asked, feeling very confused.

"Snape! I told him!" He exclaimed before running down to the common room. Peter and James shared a look before running after him, seeing Sirius pacing the common room.

"Sirius, what did you tell Snape?" James asked, trying to be calm.

"Everything!" He exclaimed, turning to look at his friends. "I told him to go to the whomping willow tonight. He'll be there when Remus leaves!" The other two looked at him in horror.

"You told Snape… to go to the willow…. Tonight?" James stuttered, not fully registering what he had been told.

"And now Remus is in danger!" Sirius said, gripping his hair.

"I'll go stall him." James said, running to the door, only to stop when he noticed Sirius follow him. "You stay here."

"But-" He started, wanting to help his friend.

"You've done enough." James snapped before running out of the room. Sirius sank into the sofa, his head in his hands.

"What did I do?" He muttered, barely noticing that Peter was there.

"What is going on?" Sirius jumped when he saw Lily at the bottom of the girl's stairs.

"Lily!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping up.

"I heard you talking about Snape. What is going on?" She asked, her hands on her hips.

"Well…umm… I…." He stuttered.

"Does this have anything to do with Remus?" She asked, eyes narrowed. She waited for a moment but there was only silence. "I know what Remus is. What did you say to Snape?"

"I…. told him to go to the whomping willow." He said, sounding defeated.

"Is that where you take Remus?" She asked, making Sirius nod. "You're an idiot." She snapped, marching to the portrait door.

"Where are you going?" He asked, sounding panicked again.

"To stop Snape." She snapped before running out of the room. Sirius froze for a second before looking at Peter.

"Tell Nixie! I'll get her!" He said, running out after Lily, praying that he wasn't too late.

Xxx

Nixie frowned as she heard a banging coming from the common room. A quick glance around told her that the rest of her dorm were asleep as she finished tying her shoes up and grabbed her wand. She hurried down the stairs, knowing she was already late and that Remus would have begun his transformation. She froze at the bottom of the stairs, frowning as she saw Peter pacing the common room, looking panicked.

"Wormtail? Why aren't you at the shack?" She asked, making him jump.

"Wings! You have to hurry! Sirius….. Snape…. James….. Lily…. Knows…" He stuttered, not able to say a full sentence.

"Peter! Spit it out!" She snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

"Sirius told Snape about the willow. James went to stop him. Lily heard us and went as well. Sirius tried to stop her." Nixie didn't need to hear anymore.

"Get Dumbledore!" She yelled as she sprinted out of the room and down the stairs, ignoring the paintings and ghosts that told her to walk. She ran outside and towards the whomping willow, seeing Sirius holding a struggling Lily around the waist, stopping her from getting close. "Snape?" She asked, barely breaking her stride.

"There!" He said, nodding towards the tree. Nixie sped off again, not bothering to listen to Lily's shouts. She could see Snape in the distance, backing away from where a wolf and stag were fighting, the stag trying to stop the wolf nearing the human. Nixie gasped as she saw Remus throw James to the side before advancing on Snape. A quick glance behind told her that Lily could see her from where she stood and she made a snap decision. She transformed. As soon as she felt her wings unfold behind her, she flew up and landed in front of a shocked Snape, making the wolf freeze.

"Enough!" She commanded, making the wolf shrink back. She could hear it growling at the human behind her and she flexed her wings, spreading them as far as she could. "Wolf. Go back into the shack with the Stag. Do not harm him." She snapped, nodding to James who gently persuaded the reluctant wolf to follow him back into the tunnel under the willow. As soon as the two were out of sight, she turned and looked at Snape. "Are you hurt?" She asked, her voice softer.

"N-no." He stuttered. "Lupin…. He's a… and you're…"

"You're in shock. You'd better sit down." She said, helping him to sit on the damp grass.

"Nixie?" She froze before looking up to see that Sirius had let go of Lily and the girl in question was now stood in front of her. "You-you have wings." She gasped, her eyes wide. "H-how?"

"It's a long story." She said, running a hand through her hair, only to freeze when she looked towards the school. "Professor!" She exclaimed, jumping back. Lily and Snape turned to see Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Slughorn walking over to them, Sirius slightly in front with his head bent. Dumbledore stopped in front of Nixie and looked at her, taking note of her wings, before looking at Snape and Lily, up at the moon and then back down at Nixie.

"I trust that there is a reasonable explanation for all of this?" He asked, his voice stern yet calm.

"It was me professor." Sirius said, his head still angled down. "I told Snape to come to the Whomping Willow as a prank and Lily followed. Nixie was just trying to stop them from getting hurt." Nixie frowned at him, trying not to get angry.

"I think we had better go and talk about this inside." McGonagall said, sharing a look with Dumbledore and Slughorn.

"Professor, if it is alright, I think it would be better if I stayed here." Nixie said, looking straight at Dumbledore. "Besides, Lily and Snape are probably in shock and will need the rest of the night to process what happened before you talk to them."

"Very good idea Miss Ryder. Miss Evans, Mr Black, Mr Snape, I think it would be appropriate for you to stay in the Hospital wing until we have had the chance to talk about what has happened. Miss Ryder, I expect to see you, Mr Potter and Mr Pettigrew in my office when you have taken Mr Lupin to the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall will make sure that he is made aware of tonight's events." Dumbledore said, making everyone nod.

"Come on then Mr Snape. Let's get you into the castle." Slughorn said, helping Snape stand up and walk to the castle.

"Nix-" Lily said, still staring at her friend.

"Lily, I promise I will explain tomorrow. But right now, Remus needs me." She said, giving her friend a quick hug before she walked over to where McGonagall and Dumbledore were waiting.

"Nixie…" She spun to face Sirius with fire in her eyes, aware of the two professors still in hearing distance.

"Don't talk to me." She snapped, glaring at the boy in front of her. "What the hell were you thinking? Actually, I know exactly what you were thinking, nothing! You thought of nothing except getting one up on Snape!"

"That's not true!" He exclaimed, pain filling his eyes.

"Did you think of Remus? Of what would have happened if James or I weren't here! What about me? Did you think about me?" She snapped, her voice low to avoid being overheard. "You knew that in order to stop Remus hurting Snape, I would have had to transform. Did you think about how I would feel about revealing myself? Or were you too concerned about yourself?"

"Nix-" He whispered, reaching a hand out to touch her arm.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped, taking a step back. "Just go Sirius. We can handle it without you." She bent down and picked up the rat that was next to her foot before flapping her wings and soaring into the sky, flying straight to the top floor of the shrieking shack to fix the mess that Sirius had made, not looking back for a second to see the pain etched over his face.

**Here you go guys. Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've had a lot going on with doing my dissertation and finishing my final year at uni. Hopefully I'll be able to upload new chapters quicker from now on. **

**Let me know what you think**


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